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I’m ashamed to be a Queensland fan, and especially ashamed to be a fan of Johnathan Thurston.
I’ve always admired Thurston’s cool, collected mind. No matter what was said, or how often he was niggled, hit, slapped or thrown around like a rag doll, he keeps calm.
But all that evaporated in the final two minutes of Game 2.
Queensland knew they were down, and that the tactics that had worked so well for Gallen and Co. hadn’t worked for them this game, so JT lost his mind and went after Josh Reynolds like a man possessed.
Shame, JT, shame. You’re better than that. Yes, the refs cocked it up with the Aaron Woods call, but Sam Thaiday’s no try was black and white – he lost it cold, grounded or not. Maybe the Woods call did change the momentum of the game, but it was over by that stage, so why risk a penalty that could end the tiny chance Queensland had of getting the ball back in decent field position?
Thurston’s attempt to provoke an all-in brawl, while somewhat successful, was completely stupid, and being a senior player, not to mention one with a reputation for having a clean game, just goes to show what a sore loser mentality he and many of the other Queensland players actually have.
Maybe their winning streak came from knowing they can’t deal with losing. Maybe that’s the fuel for the passion and dominance they’ve shown the past eight years.
Call it a brain-snap if it helps you sleep at night, but as a proud Queenslander, I say JT should be stood down by Mal Meninga for that behaviour.
Which brings me to my next point, should Mal rest the superstars and blood a bunch of newbies for Game 3?
We all know Brent Tate is out, possibly for good, depending on what he decides. I hope not, I hope we see him back, fearlessly running up the ball on the wing for many a year to come. That immediately brings either Will Chambers or Anthony Milford into the equation.
Thurston should be stood down for a game, giving Ben Hunt and Daly Cherry-Evans – the future halves pairing for Queensland – a chance to form something. Mal may even decide to move Greg Inglis to the halves, having won a premiership with Melbourne playing there.
Other than that, barring injuries, I’d leave the side alone. One inevitable loss for a champion side doesn’t change the fact that Queensland have been, and probably still are, the best Origin side in history.
NSW didn’t actually beat a full strength, or in-form, Queensland. There was very little in the game and NSW’s defence, and playing the man rather than the ball, is what won them the series.
I’ll end with a prediction – a 3-0 clean sweep for NSW, with Penrith to finally have an Origin player in Josh Mansour, and Will Hopoate to replace Michael Jennings in the centres.
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